The difference between invention and innovation lies in its being adopted by the public. With this in mind and to pursue this idea, the new 2018 edition of Paris Retail Week, which will be held from 10 to 12 September, places extraordinary emphasis on pilot projects and novelties which the public will soon find in stores.

A pleasurable, fun opportunity to discover and test shopping experiences privileging real relationships with customers! Be it digitalization, robotization or AI, retail is undergoing dramatic changes which do not fail to surprise. Spotlight on novelties which may appeal to you for upcoming report topics.

Under the brand “New Shopping Experience” (NSE), PICOM carries out actions every year which are considered as a real source of inspiration for technology firms.

This year the NSE programme comprises 14 projects which showcase partnerships between innovative businesses and retail names from a variety of sectors which have a real impact on the development of tomorrow’s retail world. It’s all about connections focusing on a specific type of use which address the issue of a brand, and, as such, ensure perfect harmony between the new technology sought and the innovative solutions proposed:

A large-scale retailer will outline their project for digitalizing their sales receipts. These receipts can now be transmitted by email accompanied by nutrition-related tips and tricks and recipes.

Another will talk about their nutritional coach project which even proposes easy-to-make, balanced recipes integrated into shopping lists. Perfect for doing shopping physically, with a scan function for scanning products directly in-store.

Virtual reality plays its full role in DIY stores! Thanks to virtual shopping, customers can visit the store of their choice and do their shopping as if they were really there. The virtual shopping project offers the advantages of the real world with total in-store and digital world immersion.

Voice takes pride of place for clothes and sports equipment brands. The customer can enjoy an original, innovative experience inside a cube whilst discovering their favourite sport. By exchanging with the voice of a small animated character, the customer will answer a series of questions focusing on their sport tastes, habits and wishes. Once the sport’s been chosen, the customer will dive into an immersive experience to discover the world of the sport suggested by the animated character. And, to finish off, the customer will leave with product recommendations and personalized information.

Let’s not forget innovations that focus on kids. “Digital kids” will delight in fun-filled solutions like a RFID treasure hunt. The child has to find RFID units hidden in the store and scan them with their RFID bracelet. Each time they scan a unit, they’ll gain access to a mini touchscreen game and collect clues. They then use these clues to decipher an enigma to open the connected treasure trove.

These projects, along with a host of other equally-innovating ones will be presented during Paris Retail Week. At the end of the event, PICOM will announce the most popular ideas!

Total POS immersion: Viva Le Store

Viva Le Store is the new, original and highly-surprising space specially-designed to reflect new POS dynamics. The most pioneering experiences will be presented focusing on interior layout, design, equipment, digital, technological innovation.

This recreational and experiential space will highlight the latest innovations from the trade fair’s POS Interior design/ Equipment/ Marketing exhibitors, all staged to create an incredibly surprising and future-oriented experience. Visitors will also discover a special area devoted to the latest commercial trends, as well as a customized space to enjoy the Connected Store experience live & direct.

Viva Le Store* will be Smart Phygital’s alter ego to ensure visitors enjoy new experiences that retail is now adopting.

Meeting place of start-ups at the cutting-edge of NT

The Start-Up space this year is exclusively reserved for over 60 incredibly-innovating young businesses. These young start-ups, all at the cutting-edge of new technology will have the chance to win support for developing their solutions.

Humanoid robots to greet us tomorrow

Event Bots, a French start-up is making waves on the hospitality and retail markets with its humanoid robot reception assistant known as Tiki. Three of its robots will be present at the event.

Tiki robots integrate cutting-edge technology (face detection, emotion reading, speech synthesis, sensitive sensors, facial animation, etc.) which make hospitality management easier and boost it. As such, these three robot assistants will be on-hand to guide visitors via an interactive plan and will present the various areas and stands to them, exactly like in-store assistants. Perfectly complementing their tablets, Tiki robots comment vocally all data displayed on the tablets and animate it through movements to enhance interactivity.

A live & direct 3D emotional experience

The Virtual Reality communication agency VR Academie proposes “Entertainment” activities in the fair’s networking area through 2 original experiences:

Take part in a real emotional experience live & direct and in 3 dimensions on the “VR interactive gaming” stand. Visitors become proactive players in their immersion thanks to an HTC live, connected headset, infrared transmitters and joysticks which are at the heart of the experience.

Tomorrow, in-store, using a headset which reproduces 360° vision, consumers will enjoy ever-so inspiring experiences and imagine themselves in the real world before they actually purchase.

Save the date for the next Paris Retail Week show from 10 to 12 September 2018

For its 4th edition, Paris Retail Week, the biggest European trade event will take its full scope and will gather in Pavilion 1 of Paris expo Porte de Versailles the e-commerce sector, dedicated to solutions for e-retailers, ranging from digital marketing to logistics, and the Store / Equipmag sector, dedicated to physical commerce and distribution.

With more than 10 years of experience in communication and marketing in internet media and e-commerce (Yahoo!, Pixmania), Arnaud Gallet joined the Comexposium group 6 years ago to manage communication and content for the E-Marketing and E-Commerce Paris trade fairs, before its colocation with Equipmag during the creation of Paris Retail Week. With a passion for the digital, he launched Digital Marketing One to One in 2014, which was renamed iMedia Brand Summit France in 2016 in a logic of global branding.
In March 2018, Arnaud Gallet was named Director of Paris Retail Week which's 4th edition was held September 10th-12th at Paris expo Porte de Versailles.